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San Francisco Chronicle
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Review: Kronos Festival opening night packs politics and world premieres
For more than five decades, San Francisco's Kronos Quartet has been an iconic fixture in contemporary music, expanding the string quartet repertoire and taking on contemporary challenges. Since its founding in 1978 by violinist David Harrington — who leads the ensemble as its only remaining original member — Kronos has focused on globally and socially resonant music, and the 10th annual Kronos Festival promises to continue this signature mission while simultaneously launching a new era. The festival's opening-night concert on Friday, April 25, at the SFJazz Center's Miner Auditorium began with an uplifting throwback — Terry Riley's 'Good Medicine,' an excerpt from the American minimalist composer's quartet-ballad 'Salome Dances for Peace,' which Kronos commissioned and premiered in 1986. ('Good Medicine' is the title and theme of this year's entire festival.) It all seemed so natural for Kronos that you might almost have forgotten the big news — that this concert marked the Bay Area debut of a fresh lineup. Violinist Gabriela Díaz and violist Ayane Kozasa joined the Quartet in mid-2024, succeeding longtime players John Sherba and Hank Dutt. And cellist Paul Wiancko only joined in 2023. Kronos, of course, embraces novelty with zeal. Friday's program featured four world premieres — a pair of commissioned pieces, along with two bespoke arrangements. Kronos' penchant for creative curation shone in the concert's opening half. Riley's curtain-raiser proved an entrancing romp, the music's dance-like motion blending minimalist loops, ritual drones and ecstatic violin riffs. This eclectic, folksy modernism is the ensemble's bread and butter, and the new lineup already projects a tone that is warm, fleshy, exactingly precise and seemingly effortless. That distinctive palette stitched together a dizzying spread of musical styles and traditions, including Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir's 'Folk Faer Andlit' (in a new arrangement by Kronos), the Trindidadian folk song 'A Shout' (in a new arrangement by Jacob Garchik) and South Korean musician Soo Yeon Lyuh's 'Sumbisori — Sound of Resilience' (in its world premiere). A particular standout was Peni Candra Rini's 'Hujan' (also arranged by Garchick). Here, uncanny, gliding washes of atonal polyphony moved to seductive violin serenades and groovy percussive jolts. At times, Candra Rini's evocation of Indonesia's mountains and seas echoed the rustic good humor of both Riley and 'A Shout.' The concert's second half addressed contemporary concerns most directly. The world premiere of Aleksandra Vrebalov's 'Cardinal Directions' marked the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War's conclusion. Vietnamese instrumentalist Vân-Ánh Võ joined the Quartet, playing the shimmering đàn tranh and a battery of percussion, while violist Kozasa at one point used her bow to play a set of drinking glasses, piercing the soundscape with a silvery sheen. Gabriella Smith's 'Keep Going' sought to carve out a space for joy in the face of climate change. Accompanying field recordings of environmental activists, the Quartet replaced their bows with acorns, sticks and rocks. Ethereal harmonics evoking birdsong and back-of-the-bow knocks yielded to propulsive, euphoric ensemble vamps — the kind of irrepressible optimism that suffuses Kronos' politics. The Quartet's prevailing aesthetic in confronting social and political issues has become one of exuberant excess. Kronos is celebrated for having commissioned more than 1,000 pieces, but the surfeit of musical styles and political issues means that any significant engagement is necessarily limited. For example, the five-minute 'Folk Faer Andlit' — translated as 'People Get Faces' and composed to recognize the individual humanity of refugees — was presented here divested of the context needed for the piece to hit home. 'Sumbisori,' which featured Lyuh on haegeum, explored a hauntingly aching musical palette, accompanied by breathtaking photography of South Korea's Jeju Island. But as the composer delivered spoken narration describing the island's culture of female sea-diving, the Quartet receded into monotonous minor chords. Telling this story came at the cost of musical interest and coherence. Audiences have the chance to dive deeper into the ideas inspiring two of the festival's featured composers in events on Saturday, April 26. The whirlwind mainstage concerts, however, perhaps offer more uplift than cure for our cultural ills. While we may require a stronger prescription, Kronos' 'Good Medicine' nonetheless promises the dose of hope — or at least joyful distraction — that many of us need most.
Iraq Business
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Iraq Business
CBI: Digital Payments to replace Physical Currency
Award-winning singer-songwriter Graybill has a few messages for you on his new album, The Path Less Traveled . "It's Alright," "Don't Quit," and "Let That BS Go." He's in a decidedly introspective and reflective mood on the album's 11 tracks, singing songs about learning to accept what is and to stay positive. click to enlarge Photo Courtesy Of Graybill THE POWER OF POSITIVITY Good Medicine and KCBX present award-winning singer-songwriter Graybill at Club Car Bar on Feb. 28 . Graybill—whose first name is Kevin, though he just goes by his last name—was born in San Diego and lived his first five years there before moving with his family to Washington state. "My parents were SoCal beach folk, so though I grew up mostly in Washington, there was somewhat of a conscious/subconscious coming home feeling about moving back to California later in life," he explained. "I never really adjusted to the cold winters up north. Just gimmie that sunshine, please." When he relocated to San Luis Obispo in 2017, he'd never even heard of our town. He simply followed his then girlfriend from their home in Seattle to Cal Poly for her grad school internship. "When I landed here, the live music scene was electric," he recalled. "It just felt like there was live music everywhere on any given day, and I just dove right in and never looked back. I'm so grateful for this music community for embracing me the way it did." Music is now his full-time job, but he took the road less traveled getting there. On his website, he mentions that living in Seattle in his 20s was about "blurring the line between vocation and play," weaving experiences such as "mushroom foraging, tech startups, eastern philosophy, World Beard Championships, bio-hacking, dog walking, Uber driving, improv theater, and even 200-mile bike rides." He didn't even write his first song until he was 19. "So, fast forward to me at 18 years old, after having played the guitar for a few years, and beginning to try and learn and sing songs of singer-songwriters. Eventually I started making up my own words, then you start moving around a couple of chords, changing the rhythm a little, and you go, 'Whoa, I guess I just wrote my first song. I'm a songwriter now!' Officially, I would say I wrote my first fully original song at 19 years old, the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college. The song was called 'Crash and Burn.'" He finally got around to recording his debut album in 2021. High Tide/Low Tide was essentially two six-song EPs packaged together. The High Tide collection was optimistic, upbeat full-band arrangements while the Low Tide collection was sparse arrangements and introspective. The recording won Album of the Year at the New Times Music Awards. "I certainly was surprised by winning album of the year in 2021. A big part of the reason why was the selection date had passed by a few weeks, and I never heard from anyone. Friends of mine in other bands had already heard from the committee either way, so, I just thought that I didn't win anything, and the judges weren't fans of my music. "I went through the whole internal processing of having my album not be appreciated by critics and owning that I was still so proud of that album and wouldn't have changed anything. I still believed I did the best I could with those songs and loved my first album ... then I got an email saying they forgot to reach out, and I actually won first place! Ha! So, needless to say, it was a beautiful full-circle experience for me emotionally and professionally; and I was honored to have won the award in an area with so much talent." His sophomore effort is another collection of hooky, breezy, infectiously fun songs, including one featuring one of Graybill's influences, G. Love. You can find the album on all the usual platforms. Good Medicine and KCBX present Graybill in Club Car Bar on Friday, Feb. 28 (8:30 p.m.; all ages; $12.56 at ), which also happens to be his 39th birthday. He'll be backed by Tracy Morgan (drums), Adrian Libertini (bass), Bobcat Rob (keys and lead guitar), and Logan Castro (cello). "I'll be playing all originals—a mix of songs from both High Tide/Low Tide and The Path Less Traveled ," Graybill concluded. If you like Jack Johnson, G. Love & Special Sauce, Nick Drake, and Michael Franti, you'll love him. Good Medicine and Numbskull also present Minneapolis songwriter Mason Jennings at The Siren on Friday, Feb. 28 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $30.08 at ). He's touring in support of his new album, Underneath the Roses , and its first single, "Only Lovers Welcome." The single's video is a moving tribute to love regardless of gender and sexual orientation. It's guaranteed to make bigots' heads explode, which is why I love it. In press materials, Jennings explained that the album's songs were "written in an unprecedented burst" following the birth of his son, Western, in March 2022. "I hadn't written any songs in about a year. I had been dealing with the psychological aftereffects of the pandemic as well as the loss of my dad. So, when Western was born, I didn't expect to be writing much. But immediately he was responding to music in a very intense way. For this album, between May and November 2022, I wrote 48 songs! They certainly uplifted me and connected me with the creative spirit, and spirit in general, again. They cover all kinds of ground but, when I listen back, I think the central theme is overcoming fear with love." click to enlarge Photo Courtesy Of The Rebirth Brass Band NOLA SOUNDS Good Medicine, Numbskull, and KCBX present the Rebirth Brass Band at The Siren on March 5 . Good Medicine, Numbskull, and KCBX team up to present the Grammy-winning Rebirth Brass Band at The Siren on Wednesday, March 5 (7 p.m.; 21-and-older; $30.08 at ). Mardi Gras is the day before, on Tuesday, March 4, so get your second line on, y'all! You'll feel like you've been transported to New Orleans. Finally, Good Medicine and Numbskull present The Garden on their Nine Desperate Dates tour at the Alex Madonna Expo Center on Thursday, March 6 (6 p.m.; all ages; $36.77 at ), with Ice Age opening. The Garden created the term "Vada Vada" in 2011 to describe their music and other creations. It "represents total freedom of expression without boundaries or guidelines of any sort." click to enlarge Photo Courtesy Of Carry The 9 '90S PUNK REDUX Punk Night featuring Carry the 9 comes to The Siren for a three-band show on March 1 . Morro Bay's The Siren hosts Punk Night featuring Carry the 9 , Bunker Club , and Out of the Ring on Saturday, March 1 (7:30 p.m.; 21-and-older; $8.45 at ). I'm banging my head to Carry the 9's new unreleased track "Roots," which reminds us that we all fall down, but our roots hold us up and keep us strong. Punk fans won't want to miss this one. "People should expect three bands' worth of quality high-energy fun," Carry the 9 guitarist and vocalist Jeremy Rich said. "Out of the Ring reminds me of a bit of Social Distortion type vibe. Bunker Club is more of a punk 'n' roll type vibe or maybe a punkier rockabilly type sound. We're more '90s melodic Fat Wreck Chords type skater punk—Lagwagon, Offspring, Bad Religion, Rise Against, Face to Face, NOFX—as that's what we grew up on and still love. All the bands are good and good fun, and we're all friends as well." Carry the 9 released three songs about four years ago and are currently working on four new ones, including "Roots," which will be released to the public on Feb. 28. "We'll be playing all of the released and unreleased songs at the show," Rich added. click to enlarge Courtesy Photo By Chad Martel GOOD FISH Badfish—A Tribute to Sublime plays the Fremont Theater on March 5 . Badfish —A Tribute to Sublime plays the Fremont Theater on Thursday, March 5 (doors at 7 p.m.; all ages; $32.42 at ), delivering your favorite Sublime hits like "Doin' Time," "What I Got," "Santeria," and more. They also mix in their own Sublime-inspired originals. "Putting out original music alongside being a tribute band has always been a point of interest to us," drummer Scott Begin said in press materials. "It's been a tricky path to walk, though. Yet as the years have gone by and we've gotten to witness our little show turn into somewhat of a movement within the scene, we are at the point where we feel we have something of real heart and value to add not only to our show but to the American reggae scene." Reggae band Fayuca opens the show. SLO Brew Live at Rod & Hammer Rock present Fantastic Negrito on Sunday, March 2 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $39.05 at ). The blues, R&B, and roots singer has a flat-out amazing and expressive voice. click to enlarge Photo Courtesy Of Fantastic Negrito ONE OF A KIND The incomparable roots, blues, and R&B singer Fantastic Negrito plays Rod & Hammer Rock on March 2 . Born Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz in Massachusetts, the 57-year-old singer-guitarist won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album for his 2016 album, The Last Days of Oakland . He won the same category in 2019 for Please Don't Be Dead and 2020 for Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? His most recent album, Son of a Broken Man , came out last year. He's truly amazing. Also at Rod & Hammer, see punk icons the Melvins on Wednesday, March 5 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $31.42 at ), and Santa Cruz rock reggae band The Expendables on their 25 Year Anniversary Tour plays on Thursday, March 6 (doors at 7 p.m.; 18-and-older; $40.08 at ), with Kyle Smith opening. click to enlarge Photo Courtesy Of Cal Poly Arts MORE NOLA COMING AT YOU Delfeayo Marsalis & The Uptown Jazz Orchestra plays a Mardi Gras party in the Performing Arts Center on March 6 . More New Orleans brass sounds and Mardi Gras vibes await when Delfeayo Marsalis & The Uptown Jazz Orchestra play the Performing Arts Center on Thursday, March 6 (7:30 p.m.; $38 to $67 plus fees at ). The Grammy-winning bandleader will have you shaking and shimmying. "Time to throw up your hands, cut the king cake, and grab some beads as we celebrate New Orleans and the greatest time of year with songs by Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Earl King, Marsalis, and more," Cal Poly Arts announced. "A member of The First Family of Jazz and an NEA Jazz Master, the middle Marsalis brother leads the vibrant Uptown Jazz Orchestra from his seat in the trombone section, in a performance that is full of the joy and soul of NOLA." Δ Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at [email protected] .
